Rahane and Pujara were selected in the Ranji Trophy squad. Pujara and Rahane have been under scrutiny for some time now for their lack of big scores. Since then, Rahane has managed to score 547 runs in 27 innings at an average of just 20.25. Which has three half-centuries and a high score of 67. Over this period, their average has dropped from 43 to less than 39.

Both are being probed for the lack of big scores in the recent Test matches.

The experienced duo of Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane have been under question in Test cricket for the past few years. But after that now he is all set to play in the upcoming Ranji Trophy. Pujara was named in the Saurashtra squad, which will be led by Jaydev Unadkat. And Rahane was included in the Prithvi Shaw-led Mumbai squad.

Rahane has scored 547 runs in 27 innings at an average of just 20.25, with three half-centuries and a high score of 67. During this period, their average has dropped from 43 to less than 39. Rahane last played in the 2019-20 Ranji Trophy when Mumbai won only one of their eight league games and failed to make it to the knockouts.

Cheteshwar Pujara stats

Batsman Career Batting StatsRight-Handed Batsman-

Format	M	Inn	NO	Runs	HS	Avg	BF	SR	100s	50s	4s	6s

Test2010–	95	162	9	6713	206*	43.9	15169	44.2	18	32	806	15

ODI2013–14	5	5	0	51	27	10.2	130	39.2	0	0	4	0

IPL2010–14	30	22	3	390	51	20.5	391	99.7	0	1	50	4

Career Bowling StatsRight-Arm Leg-Spin Bowler-

Format	M	Inn	B	Mdn	Runs	W	BB	Econ	Avg	SR	4W	5W

Test2010–	95	1	6	0	2	0	0/2	2.00	–	–	0	0

ODI2013–14	5	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–

IPL2010–14	30	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–

Pujara started falling down-

In successive Tests against England and South Africa, Pujara started falling down after his recent scores, including ducks, did not go up. Since his last century, Pujara has amassed 1287 runs in 48 innings against England at an average of 27.38 with a high score of 91. His career average has dropped from about 47 to 44.25 in this period. Pujara last played in the Ranji Trophy in 2019-20 final when his grit and gritty 66 helped Saurashtra win the title in the first innings against Bengal.

Saurashtra and Mumbai are placed in Group D along with Odisha and Goa and will play their league matches in Ahmedabad.

Ajinkya Rahane stats

Batsman Career Batting Stats Right-Handed Batsman-

Format	M	Inn	NO	Runs	HS	Avg	BF	SR	100s	50s	4s	6s

Test2013–	82	140	12	4931	188	38.5	9972	49.4	12	25	560	34

ODI2011–18	90	87	3	2962	111	35.3	3767	78.6	3	24	293	33

T20I2011–16	20	20	2	375	61	20.8	331	113.3	0	1	32	6

IPL2008–	151	141	16	3941	105*	31.5	3248	121.3	2	28	417	76

Career Bowling Stats Right-Arm Medium Bowler-

Format	M	Inn	B	Mdn	Runs	W	BB	Econ	Avg	SR	4W	5W

Test2013–	82	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–

ODI2011–18	90	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–

T20I2011–16	20	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–

IPL2008–	151	1	6	0	5	1	1/5	5.00	5.0	6.0	0	0

The selectors will be eyeing both the batsmen to return to domestic cricket ahead of India’s next Test series against Sri Lanka starting February 25. Ranji Trophy is going to start from 16th February.

The Ranji Trophy was not played last season due to the COVID-19 pandemic this time. It will be held in two phases, before and after the IPL. It was originally scheduled to begin on January 13. But was postponed due to the third wave of infections across the country.

Mumbai Squad:

Prithvi Shaw (capt), Ajinkya Rahane, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Drew Gomel, Armaan Jaffer, Sarfaraz Khan, Sachin Yadav, Aditya Tare (wk), Hardik Tamore (wk), Shivam Dubey, Aman Khan, Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Prashant Solanki, Shashank Attard, Dhaval Kulkarni, Mohit Awasthi, Prince Badiani, Siddharth Raut, Roystan Dias, Arjun Tendulkar.

Saurashtra Squad:

Jaydev Unadkat (Captain), Cheteshwar Pujara, Sheldon Jackson, Arpit Vasavada, Chirag Jani, Kamlesh Makwana, Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, Chetan Sakaria, Prerak Mankad, Vishwarajsinh Jadeja, Harvik Desai, Kevin Jivarajani, Jai Kumar Bhut, Yuvraj Singh Chudasama, Devang Karmata, Snell Patel, Kishan Parmar, and Aditya Jadeja

Pujara and Rahane are under scrutiny for lack of big scores